Anti-Tom literature
Encyclopedia
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
's Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
. Also called Plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors from the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. Books in the genre attempted to show either that slavery was beneficial to African Americans or that the evils of slavery as depicted in Stowe's book were overblown and incorrect.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
First published in serialized form from 1851–52 (in the abolitionist journal National Era), and in book form in 1852, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe quickly became the best-selling novel of the 19th century (and the second best-selling book of the century after the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
). This abolitionist novel focused on the evils of slavery and was inspired by the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act two years before, which punished those who aided runaway slaves. The book was highly controversial and fanned the debate over slavery in the country. When Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
met Stowe after the beginning of the Civil War, he reportedly said to her, "So you're the little lady whose book started this great war."
The Southern literary response
The response to Stowe's novel in the American South was one of outrage. To counter Stowe's novel, Southern writers produced a number of pro-slavery books, the vast majority of them novels. In 1852 alone, eight anti-Tom novels were published.These anti-Tom novels tended to feature a benign white patriarchal master and a pure wife, both of whom presided over childlike slaves in a benevolent extended-family-style plantation. The novels either implied, or directly stated, the view that African Americans were unable to live their lives without being directly overseen by white people
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
.
Today these novels and books are generally seen as pro-slavery propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
. None of them have been influential to later literature. The anti-Tom genre died off with the start of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Simms, Hentz, and other pro-slavery authors
The two most famous anti-Tom books are The Sword and the Distaff by William Gilmore SimmsWilliam Gilmore Simms
William Gilmore Simms was a poet, novelist and historian from the American South. His writings achieved great prominence during the 19th century, with Edgar Allan Poe pronouncing him the best novelist America had ever produced...
and The Planter's Northern Bride
The Planter's Northern Bride
The Planter's Northern Bride is an 1854 novel written by Caroline Lee Hentz, in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852.- Overview :...
by Caroline Lee Hentz
Caroline Lee Hentz
Caroline Lee Whiting Hentz was an American novelist and author, most noted for her opposition to the abolitionist movement and her widely-read rebuttal to the popular anti-slavery book, Uncle Tom's Cabin...
.
Simms' The Sword and the Distaff came out only a few months after Stowe's novel and contains a number of sections and discussions that clearly debate Stowe's book and view of slavery. The novel focuses on the Revolutionary War and its aftermath through the lives of Captain Porgy and one of his slaves. Simms novel was popular enough that it was reprinted in 1854 under the title Woodcraft.
The Planter's Northern Bride
The Planter's Northern Bride
The Planter's Northern Bride is an 1854 novel written by Caroline Lee Hentz, in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852.- Overview :...
by Caroline Lee Hentz was published two years after Uncle Tom's Cabin. Hentz's novel offers a defense of slavery as seen through the eyes of a northern woman — the daughter of an abolitionist, no less — who marries a southern slave owner. As with other books in the genre, Hentz's novel tries to show that black people lacked the ability to function well without oversight by whites. Her novel also focused on the fear of a slave rebellion
Slave rebellion
A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves. Slave rebellions have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery, and are amongst the most feared events for slaveholders...
, especially if abolitionists didn't stop stirring up trouble.
Simms and Hentz's books were two of between twenty or thirty pro-slavery novels written in the decade after Uncle Tom's Cabin. Other well-known authors who published anti-Tom novels include John Pendleton Kennedy.
Mary Henderson Eastman's Aunt Phillis's Cabin
Aunt Phillis's Cabin
Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life As It Is by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel in American literature. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co of Philadelphia in 1852 as a response to Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, published...
was one of the bestselling novels of the genre. Published in 1852, it sold 20,000 to 30,000 copies. In a note in the book, Eastman proudly stated she was a descendant of the First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They originated with colonists from England who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg, and along the James River and other navigable waters...
.
Little Eva: The Flower of the South
Little Eva: The Flower of the South
Little Eva: The Flower of the South is an 1853 children's novel written by Philip J. Cozans.- Background :Little Eva is unique in being one of few known examples of children's literature that also contains elements of plantation literature, a pro-slavery literary genre that emerged in the Southern...
, by Philip J. Cozans, was a rare example of anti-Tom literature, in the sense that - whereas most anti-Tom novels were written for an adult audience - Little Eva was in fact an anti-Tom children's novel
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
.
Selected anti-Tom novels
Among the novels in the anti-Tom genre are:- The Sword and the Distaff by William Gilmore SimmsWilliam Gilmore SimmsWilliam Gilmore Simms was a poet, novelist and historian from the American South. His writings achieved great prominence during the 19th century, with Edgar Allan Poe pronouncing him the best novelist America had ever produced...
- White Acre vs. Black AcreWhite Acre vs. Black AcreWhite Acre vs. Black Acre is an 1856 plantation fiction novel written by William M. Burwell.- Overview :White Acre vs. Black Acre is one of several pro-slavery novels published in the Southern United States in response to Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in 1852.Burwell's...
by William M. Burwell - Ellen; or, The Fanatic's DaughterEllen; or, The Fanatic's DaughterEllen; or, The Fanatic's Daughter' is an 1860 plantation fiction novel written by Mrs. V.G. Cowdin.- Overview :Ellen is one of several examples of Anti-Tom literature, a literary subgenre that emerged in the Southern United States in response to the 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher...
by Mrs. V.G. Cowdin - Little Eva: The Flower of the SouthLittle Eva: The Flower of the SouthLittle Eva: The Flower of the South is an 1853 children's novel written by Philip J. Cozans.- Background :Little Eva is unique in being one of few known examples of children's literature that also contains elements of plantation literature, a pro-slavery literary genre that emerged in the Southern...
by Philip J. Cozans - "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Contrasted with Buckingham Hall, the Planter's Home"Uncle Tom's Cabin" Contrasted with Buckingham Hall, the Planter's Home"Uncle Tom's Cabin" Contrasted with Buckingham Hall, the Planter's Home is an 1852 novel by Robert Criswell, combining elements of Anti-Tom literature and romantic fiction.- Overview :...
by Robert Criswell - Aunt Phillis's Cabin: or, Southern Life As It IsAunt Phillis's CabinAunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life As It Is by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel in American literature. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co of Philadelphia in 1852 as a response to Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, published...
by Mary H. Eastman - Antifanaticism: A Tale of the SouthAntifanaticism: A Tale of the SouthAntifanaticism: A Tale of the South is an 1853 plantation fiction novel by Martha Haines Butt.- Overview :Antifanaticism is one of several examples of the plantation literature genre that appeared in reaction to the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which had been...
by Martha Haines Butt - The Ebony IdolThe Ebony IdolThe Ebony Idol is a plantation literature novel first published in 1860 and written by G.M. Flanders.-Overview:The Ebony Idol is one of several novels written in the Southern United States in response to the 1852 abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.The majority of these...
by Mrs. G.M. Flanders - Liberia; or, Mr. Peyton's ExperimentsLiberia; or, Mr. Peyton's ExperimentsLiberia; or, Mr. Peyton's Experiments is an 1853 novel by Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb", who wrote the novel under the name of Sara J...
by Sarah Josepha HaleSarah Josepha HaleSarah Josepha Buell Hale was an American writer and an influential editor. She is the author of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb"... - Frank Freeman's Barber ShopFrank Freeman's Barber ShopFrank Freeman's Barber Shop is an 1852 plantation fiction novel written by the Reverend Baynard Rush Hall.- Overview :Frank Freeman's Barber Shop is an example of the numerous anti-Tom novels produced in the Southern United States in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet...
by the Rev. Baynard R. Hall - The Planter's Northern BrideThe Planter's Northern BrideThe Planter's Northern Bride is an 1854 novel written by Caroline Lee Hentz, in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852.- Overview :...
by Caroline Lee HentzCaroline Lee HentzCaroline Lee Whiting Hentz was an American novelist and author, most noted for her opposition to the abolitionist movement and her widely-read rebuttal to the popular anti-slavery book, Uncle Tom's Cabin... - Tit for TatTit for Tat (1856 novel)Tit for Tat is an 1856 novel written anonymously by "A Lady of New Orleans".- Overview :Tit for Tat is one of several examples of plantation literature that emerged in the Southern United States in response to the 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which had been criticised in...
by "A Lady of New Orleans" - The Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All GoodThe Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All GoodThe Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All Good is a novel by Maria J. McIntosh published by D. Appleton & Company in 1853. It was one of many anti-Tom novels published in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The story is set is Georgia and tells of a plantation owner's...
by M. J. McIntosh - Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in BostonUncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in BostonUncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston is an 1853 novel written by J.W. Page and released by J. W...
by J. W. Page - The Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and MastersThe Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and MastersThe Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and Masters is an 1852 novel written by Charles Jacobs Peterson under the pseudonym of J. Thornton Randolph.- Overview :...
by Charles Jacobs Peterson (under the pseudonym of J. Thornton Randolph) - The North and the South; or, Slavery and Its ContrastsThe North and the South; or, Slavery and Its ContrastsThe North and the South; or, Slavery and Its Contrasts is an 1852 plantation fiction novel by Caroline Rush, and among the first examples of the genre, alongside others such as Aunt Phillis's Cabin by Mary Henderson Eastman and Life at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It Is by W.L.G...
by Caroline Rush - The Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South CarolinaThe Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South CarolinaThe Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South Carolina is an anti-Tom novel written in 1860 by Mary Howard Schoolcraft, published under her married name of Mrs...
by Mary Howard Schoolcraft - Uncle Tom's Cabin As It Is (There were two novels published with this title, one by W.L. Smith - full title Life at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It IsLife at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It IsLife at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It Is is an 1852 plantation fiction novel written by W.L.G...
- and the other by C.H. Wiley) - Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-AgentMr. Frank, the Underground Mail-AgentMr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent is an 1853 parody novel written by an unknown author credited as "Vidi".- Background :Mr. Frank is an example of the pro-slavery plantation literature genre that emerged from the Southern United States in response to the abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in...
by Vidi - English Serfdom and American Slavery; or, Ourselves as Others See Us by Lucien Chase
Slave narratives
One counter to this pro-slavery fiction were the slave narrativeSlave narrative
The slave narrative is a literary form which grew out of the written accounts of enslaved Africans in Britain and its colonies, including the later United States, Canada and Caribbean nations...
s written by a number of former slaves such as Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...
, which painted a much harsher version of plantation life.
Directly following the conclusion of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Douglass wrote a story of his own called The Heroic Slave. In this story, he portrays a main character who is strong and intelligent; religious, but not a doormat.
Eventually some six thousand former slaves from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
wrote accounts of their lives, with about 150 of these published as separate books or pamphlets. Slave narratives eventually became recognized as an important literary genre in their own right and as the beginnings of African-American literature.
See also
- African American literatureAfrican American literatureAfrican-American literature is the body of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. The genre traces its origins to the works of such late 18th century writers as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano, reaching early high points with slave narratives and the Harlem...
- George FitzhughGeorge FitzhughGeorge Fitzhugh was an American social theorist who published racial and slavery-based sociological theories in the antebellum era. He argued that "the negro is but a grown up child" who needs the economic and social protections of slavery...
- Slave narratives
- Southern literatureSouthern literatureSouthern literature is defined as American literature about the Southern United States or by writers from this region...